TO: Social	Innovation	Fund	Continuation	Grantees

FROM: Director	of	the	Social	Innovation	Fund		

RE: FY	2013 Social	Innovation	Fund	Grant	Continuation	Requests	

DATE: TBD

Introduction

This	memo	 provides	 information	 on	the	 Fiscal	 Year	(FY)	 2013 continuation	 application	 process.				

This	 process	 applies only	 to	 grantees	 whose	 final	 year	 for	 awarded	 funds	 is	 this	 current	

program	year.		

The	 continuation	application	 consists of: (1) an	application submitted through	eGrants	and	(2)	a	

spreadsheet	of	information	on	subgrantee	awards submitted	via	email.	

General	Information

Grantees	may	apply	for	up	to	the	annual	amount	of	their	previous	grant	award.		All	applications	will	

be	submitted	through	the	eGrants	system.		The	application	deadline	is	Wednesday,	July	3rd,	2013

at	5:00	pm	Eastern	Time.		Grantees	can	expect	to	receive	decisions	from	CNCS	by September	1,

2013.

Continuation	Request	Review	Criteria

The	annual	continuation	review	process	will	be	conducted	by	Social	Innovation	Fund	program	staff,	

evaluation	 staff,	and	Office	of	Grants	Management	 grants	officers.	Decisions	will	be	based	on	the	

continuation	 submission,	 staff	 knowledge,	 and	 previously	 submitted	 documents	 such	 as	 the	

quarterly	progress	report,	the	biannual	federal	financial	report (FFR),	Subgrantee	Evaluation	Plans

(SEP) and	 Scaling	 Plans.	 To	 be	 approved	 for	 continued	 funding,	 grantees	 must	 demonstrate	

satisfactory	 performance	 with	 respect	 to	 key	 program	 goals	 and	 requirements,	 as	 well	 as	

compliance	with	the	terms	and	conditions	of	the	grant.		The	review	criteria	are:

1. Subgrantee	selection	and	continuation

a. Grantee	successfully	completed	its	subgrantee	selection	process	in	alignment	with	the	

approved	 selection	 plan,	 including	 ensuring	 that	 all	 subgrantees	 had at	 least	

preliminary	levels	of	evidence.

b. Grantee successsfully completed	its	subgrantee	continuation	review	process	and	made	

decisions	based	on	subgrantee	performance,	spending,	and	progress	towards	evaluation	

goals.

c. Grantee	has	 a	 reasonable	plan	for	use	of	 any	funds	 recouped	through	the	 subgrantee	

continuation	review	process.

2. Program	Evaluation

a. Grantee	 secured	 approval	 of	 and	 initiated	 implementation	 of	 subgrantee	 evaluation	

plans.

b. Subgrantee	 evaluation	 plans	 will	 reach	 moderate	 level	 of	 evidence	 by	the	 end	 of	the	

grant	period.

c. Grantee	 demonstrates adequate	 progress	 towards	 subgrantee	 evaluation	 plan	
implementation,	satisfactorily	addressing	challenges	where	they	have	occurred.	

3. Growing	Subgrantee	Impact

a. Grantee	has	an	approved scaling	plan.

b. Grantee	 has	 made	 appropriate	 progress	 towards	 its	 goals	 for	 scaling	 or	 replicating	

subgrantees,	or	otherwise	building	their	capacity	for	growth.

4. Ensuring	 and	 maintaining	 compliance	 with	 programmatic	 and	 federal	 requirements	 and	

regulations.

a. Grantee	has	provided	adequate	training	to	subgrantees	on	grant	requirements.

b. Grantee	is	providing	adequate	subgrantee	oversight	and	monitoring.

c. Grantee	has	effectively utilized grant	funds	at	the	grantee	and	subgrantee	level.	

d. Grantee	and	subgrantee	have	made	sufficient	progress	in	raising	match.

e. Grantee	 has	 adequately	 addressed	 program	 implementation	 challenges	 and	 has	

communicated	these	with	its	program	officer.

f. Grantee	 has	 been	 responsive	 to	 CNCS	 requests	 for	 information	 including	 timely	

submission	 of	 financial	 and	 progress	 reports,	 Subgrantee	 Evaluation	 Plans	 and	

continuation	applications.

5. Proposed	changes	to	the	program	plan and budget.

a. Grantee	 has	 presented	 reasonable	 justification	 for	 proposed	 changes	 to	 the	 program	

plan	or	budget	to	the	CNCS	program	and/or	grants	officer.

Application	Instructions

The	2013 Social	Innovation	 Fund	Continuation	NOFA	is	now	open	in	 eGrants.	 	 Please	follow	the	

instructions	below	to	complete	and	submit	your	application.

1. Creating	a	2013 Continuation	Application

 On	 your	 eGrants	 Home	 Page,	 under	 Creating	 a	 Grant	 Application,	 select	

Continuation/Renewal

 Then,	select	Continue from	the	options	listed	to	the	right	of	your	SIF	grant.		Do	not	start	a	

new	application.		If	you	have	more	than	one	grant	with	the	Corporation,	be	sure	to	select	the	

correct	one.		The	system	will	copy	your	most	recently	awarded	application.	

 Select	Next on	the	screen	that	opens

2. Applicant	Info	and	Application	Info

 Update	the	Applicant	Info and	Application	Info screens	 as	necessary. In	particular,	 click	

View/Edit under	Project	Director to	 see	 if	the	 contact	 information	 is	 current.	 Make	 any	

necessary	changes	to	the	project	director’s	contact	information.

 However,	if	the	project	director	has	changed,	you	must	create	a	record	for	the	new	person	

by	clicking	Enter	New.		DO	NOT	overwrite	the	information	for	an	existing	contact	with	the	

information	for	a	new	contact	because	this	affects	the	historical	record.

 Note	in	the	Continuation	Changes	field	any	changes	you	have	made	to	these	screens.	

 Click	Next

3. Application	Narrative

 Your original	application	will	appear	in	the	different	sections	of	the	Narratives screen.	 Do	

not	 enter	 continuation	 changes	 in,	 or	 otherwise	 edit,	 the	 original	 narrative	 fields.	

Instead	provide	the	information	described	below	in	the	narrative	field	called	“Continuation	

Changes”.

 If	this	is	your	second	or	third	continuation	request,	please	distinguish	from	last	year’s	text	

already	in	the	 Continuation	Changes	field	 by	 labeling	this	 year’s	narrative	“Year	2	or	3

Continuation	Changes”.

 First,	enter	any	changes you are	proposing	to	make to	your	applicant	info	or	your	approved	

grant	program	 as	presented	in	 your	 application.	Clearly	title	 any	 change	 you	 are	making.	
For	 example,	 if	 you	 intend	 to	 make	 changes	 to	 your	 evaluation	 plan,	 you	 would	 enter	

“Changes	to	Portfolio	Evaluation	Plan”	as	a	header	and	list	the	specific	changes	underneath.		

 Second,	please	address	the	following	topics.		As	a	general	guideline,	we	anticipate	that your	

continuation	narrative	will be	about	6	double-spaced	pages,	or	12,000	characters.

 Explain	the	past	year’s	performance	on	key	dimensions	not	addressed	by	the	quarterly	

progress	 report including progress	 made	 towards	 your	 goals	 for	 expanding	 or	

replicating	sub-grantees	or	otherwise	building	their	capacity	for	growth;	Changes	to	the	

previously	 approved	 scope	 or	 design	 of	 the	 program	 - this	 may	 include	 a	 revised	

timeline	 for	 the	 program,	 changes	 in	 your	 subgrant	 plan,	 and	 adjustments	 to	 your	

training	or	evaluation	plans,	etc.

 Describe	any	issues	that	arose	during	your	sub-grantee	continuation	process	and	how	

they	were	resolved.		Identify	and	provide	an	explanation	for	any subgrantees that	were

terminated,	chose	not	to	continue or	whose award	was	significantly	decreased.	

 Describe	 changes	 in	 key	 staff	 positions.	 	 If	 any	 key	 positions	 are	 currently	 vacant,	

describe	how	the	functions	are	being	carried	out	and	when	the	positions	will	be	filled.

 Provide	a	rationale	for	proposed	changes	to	the	budget.	

 Explain challenges	from	the	past	year	and	how	you	have	addressed	them.		This	should	

include	any	noteworthy	instances	where	progress	or	implementation	did	not	occur	as	

planned.		If	there	are	budget	ramifications,	please	explain	these	as	well,	for	example,	if	

your	evaluation	costs	have	increased	due	to	a	delay	in	implementation.	

 Changes	made	to	the	Applicant	Info and	Application	Info screens.

4. Budget	

Your	budget	from	the	previous	year	will	be	copied	into	your	continuation	request.		Make	any	

necessary	 adjustments	 to	 the	 existing	 budget.	 	 Include	 funding	 to	 support	 at	 least	 two	 staff	

members	attending	two	SIF-related	convenings.	For	planning	purposes,	assume	meetings	will	

occur	in	Washington	DC.		

5. Subgrantee	Continuation	Review/Chart	of	Subgrant	Awards

Please	complete	the	attached	spreadsheet	with	information	on	your	current	subgrantees. Items	

included	in	the	chart	are:	

 2012	Award	(Federal)

 2012	Award	(Grantee)

 2013	Award	(Federal)

 2013	Award	(Grantee)

 Start	Date

 Term	of	Award

 Total	Match	Funds	Raised (to	date)

 Total	Match	Funds	Spent (to	date)

 Total	Federal	Funds	Spent (to	date)

Please	submit	a	copy	of	your	continuation	review	criteria	to	your	Program	Officer.	

6. Authorize	and	Submit

Your	Authorized	Representative*	must	log	into	his	or	her	eGrants	account	in	order	to	certify	the	

application	prior	to	submission.		

*The	Authorized	Representative	is	the	official	within	an	applicant	organization	with	the	legal	

authority	 to	 give	 assurances,	 make	 commitments,	 enter	 into	 contracts,	 and	 execute	 such	
documents	on	behalf	of	the	applicant	as	may	be	required	by	a	grantmaker.	The	signature	of	

the	 Authorized	 Representative	 certifies	that	 commitments	made	 on	 grant	 proposals	 will	 be	

honored	and	 ensures	that	the	applicant	agrees	to	 conform	to	the	grantmaker's	 regulations,	

guidelines,	and	policies.	The	Authorized	Representative	is	 most	 cases	would	 not	 be	the	

Project	Director.